From the Torah ofRav Dovid Matisyohu Rabinowitz of Bialaרבי דוד מתתיהו רבינוביץ מביאלאProfile ›
Faith in the Sages: Chanukah Against Doubt
Other mitzvos of Chazal carry the same blessing, yet only about Chanukah does the Gemara ask, “Where did He command us?” Why did the Greeks decree against the new month? And if pure oil existed outside the Heichal, why would Hashem work a miracle for the sealed cruse?
Name a tzaddik: tap for who he wasTitle a sefer
Devarim 32:7
זְכֹר יְמוֹת עוֹלָם בִּינוּ שְׁנוֹת דֹּר־וָדֹר שְׁאַל אָבִיךָ וְיַגֵּדְךָ זְקֵנֶיךָ וְיֹאמְרוּ לָךְ
Remember the days of old, consider the years of each generation; ask your father, and he will tell you; your elders, and they will say to you.
1“What blessing does one say? ‘Who has sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us …’ And where did He command us? Rav Avya said: from ‘You shall not turn aside.’ Rav Nechemyah said: from ‘Ask your father, and he will tell you; your elders, and they will say to you.’”1 Why did Chazal ask this about the mitzvah of the Chanukah lamp in particular, and not about the other mitzvos of Chazal, over which we also say “Who has sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us”?
מַאי מְבָרֵךְ, מְבָרֵךְ אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹותָיו וְצִיוָּונוּ וְכוּ׳, וְהֵיכָן צִיוָּונוּ, רַב אַוְיָא אָמַר מִלֹּא תָסוּר, רַב נְחֶמְיָה אָמַר שְׁאַל אָבִיךָ וְיַגֵּדְךָ זְקֵנֶךָ וְיֹאמְרוּ לָךְ (שבת כג, א). יֵשׁ לְהָבִין, מַדּוּעַ הִקְשׁוּ כֵּן דַּוְקָא לְגַבֵּי מִצְוַות נֵר חֲנוּכָּה, וְלֹא לְגַבֵּי שְׁאָר מִצְוֹות דְּרַבָּנָן שֶׁגַּם עֲלֵיהֶם מְבָרְכִים אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹותָיו וְצִיוָּונוּ.
- Shabbos 23a; Devarim 17:11; 32:7. Chanukah is a mitzvah instituted by Chazal and is not written in the Torah, hence the question “Where did He command us?” The verse “You shall not turn aside” commands following the rulings of the Sages. ↩
In shortOther mitzvos of Chazal carry the same blessing, so why does the Gemara ask “Where did He command us?” only about Chanukah?
2Chazal also tell us that the Greeks decreed against three things: Shabbos, circumcision and the new month.2 This is puzzling. Shabbos and circumcision, granted, are foundations of our faith. But why did they decree against Kiddush HaChodesh, sanctifying the new month, of all things?
עוֹד אִיתָא בחז״ל (מגילת אנטיוכוס), שֶׁהַיְּוָונִים גָּזְרוּ עַל שְׁלוֹשָׁה דְּבָרִים, שַׁבָּת מִילָה וְחוֹדֶשׁ. וְתָמוּהַּ, דְּבִשְׁלָמָא שַׁבָּת וּמִילָה הֵם יְסוֹדוֹת הַדָּת, אֲבָל מָה רָאוּ לִגְזוֹר עַל קִידּוּשׁ הַחוֹדֶשׁ דַּוְקָא.
- Megillas Antiochus. ↩
In shortShabbos and circumcision are foundations of the faith, but why did the Greeks decree against sanctifying the new month?
3Let us first cite a question of the :3 why did they need the miracle of the cruse of pure oil? The Gemara says that the Greeks defiled all the oils “in the Heichal,”4 which implies that they defiled only the oils in the Heichal. So presumably the Jews could have found pure oil to light for several days, since the Greeks had not defiled the oil outside the Heichal. The answered that this was indeed so. Heaven, however, wanted Bnei Yisrael to light the Menorah in the finest way, from a cruse sealed with the seal of the Kohen Gadol, and so the Holy One, blessed be He, did the miracle for them. But we must still ask: the rule is that Hashem does not perform a miracle for nothing. Since they could have lit the Menorah in purity, the miracle would seem to have been for nothing. Why, then, do we find that Hashem did the miracle for them?
וְנַקְדִּים, דְּהִנֵּה הַשְּׂפַת אֱמֶת (שבת כא, ב) הִקְשָׁה, לָמָּה הָיוּ צְרִיכִים לְנֵס פַּךְ הַשֶּׁמֶן הַטָּהוֹר, דְּמִזֶּה שֶׁאָמְרוּ בַּגְּמָרָא שֶׁטִּימְּאוּ אֶת כָּל הַשְּׁמָנִים ׳שֶׁבַּהֵיכָל׳, מַשְׁמַע שֶׁרַק אוֹתָם שֶׁבַּהֵיכָל טִימְּאוּ, וְאִם כֵּן מִסְּתָמָא יָכְלוּ לִמְצוֹא שֶׁמֶן טָהוֹר בִּשְׁבִיל לְהַדְלִיק בּוֹ לְכַמָּה יָמִים, שֶׁהֲרֵי אֶת הַשֶּׁמֶן שֶׁמִּחוּץ לַהֵיכָל לֹא טִמְּאוּ הַיְּוָונִים. וְתֵירֵץ דְּאָמְנָם כֵּן הָיָה, אֶלָּא שֶׁמִּן הַשָּׁמַיִם רָצוּ שֶׁבְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל יְהַדְּרוּ בְּהַדְלָקַת הַמְּנוֹרָה לְהַדְלִיקוֹ בְּפַךְ שֶׁהָיָה חָתוּם בְּחוֹתָמוֹ שֶׁל כֹּהֵן גָּדוֹל, וְלָכֵן עָשָׂה לָהֶם הקב״ה הַנֵּס. אֲבָל עֲדַיִין יֵשׁ לְהָבִין, דַּהֲרֵי הַכְּלָל הוּא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לָא עָבֵיד נִיסָּא בִּכְדִי, וְכֵיוָן שֶׁהָיוּ יְכוֹלִים לְהַדְלִיק הַמְּנוֹרָה בְּטָהֳרָה, אִם כֵּן לִכְאוֹרָה הָיָה הַנֵּס עַל חִינָּם, וְלָמָּה מָצִינוּ שֶׁעָשָׂה לָהֶם הקב״ה הַנֵּס.
- Sfas Emes on Shabbos 21b. ↩
- Shabbos 21b. The Heichal is the inner hall of the Beis HaMikdash, where the Menorah stood. ↩
In shortPure oil existed outside the Heichal, the Sfas Emes notes, so why would Hashem, Who works no needless miracles, make one for the cruse?
4We may explain it this way. The Midrash says: “‘And darkness was upon the face of the deep’: this is the kingdom of Greece, which darkened the eyes of Israel.”5 As is well known, the Greeks schemed to cast doubt on faith in Hashem and on the whole Torah, and above all on emunas chachamim, faith in the Sages. This is what “darkness” means: it stands for doubts and confusion of mind, and with these they darkened the eyes of Israel.
וְאֶפְשָׁר לוֹמַר בְּדֶרֶךְ זֶה, דְּהִנֵּה אִיתָא בַּמִּדְרָשׁ (בראשית רבה ב, ד) ״וְחוֹשֶׁךְ עַל פְּנֵי תְהוֹם״ (בראשית א, ב) זוֹ מַלְכוּת יָוָן שֶׁהֶחֱשִׁיכָה עֵינֵיהֶם שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל. וְהָעִנְיָן הוּא, כִּי כַּיָּדוּעַ מְזִימַּת הַיְּוָונִים הָיְתָה לְהַטִּיל סְפֵיקוֹת בֶּאֱמוּנַת ה׳ וּבְכָל הַתּוֹרָה, וּבְעִיקַּר בְּעִנְיַן אֱמוּנַת חֲכָמִים. וְזֶהוּ עִנְיַן ׳חוֹשֶׁךְ׳, שֶׁמּוֹרֶה עַל סְפֵקוֹת וּבִלְבּוּל הַדַּעַת, וּבָזֶה הֶחְשִׁיכוּ אֶת עֵינֵיהֶם שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל.
- Bereishis Rabbah 2:4 (the sefer has 2:5); Bereishis 1:2. ↩
In shortGreece's “darkness” was the doubt and confusion it sowed about Hashem, the Torah, and above all faith in the Sages.
5This is also the meaning of the words in Al HaNissim, “to make them forget Your Torah and to make them stray from the chukim of Your will.” Notice the wording: what does “to make them stray from the chukim of Your will” mean? The meaning is that the Greeks' first step was “to make them stray from the chukim of Your will”: they came and cast doubt on all the mitzvos of the Torah. It is well known that the nations of the world cast doubt on the mitzvos that are chukim, decrees without a stated reason.6 In the same way, the Greeks cast doubt on all the mitzvos of the Torah. This is the meaning of “to make them stray from the chukim of Your will,” and as a result, “to make them forget Your Torah,” to take them away from all the mitzvos of the Torah.
וְזֶה גַּם הַפֵּירוּשׁ בִּלְשׁוֹן הַתְּפִילָּה ׳לְהַשְׁכִּיחָם תּוֹרָתֶךָ וּלְהַעֲבִירָם מֵחוּקֵּי רְצוֹנֶךָ׳, וְיֵשׁ לְדַקְדֵּק מַהוּ ׳לְהַעֲבִירָם מֵחוּקֵּי רְצוֹנֶךָ׳, אֶלָּא הַכַּוָּונָה הִיא, דִּתְחִילַּת דַּרְכָּם הָיְתָה ׳לְהַעֲבִירָם מֵחוּקֵּי רְצוֹנֶךָ׳, הַיְינוּ שֶׁבָּאוּ וְהִטִּילוּ סְפֵקוֹת בְּכָל מִצְוֹות הַתּוֹרָה, דִּכְמוֹ שֶׁבַּמִּצְוֹות שֶׁהֵם בְּחִינַת ׳חוּקִּים׳ דַּרְכָּם שֶׁל אוּמוֹת הָעוֹלָם לְהַטִּיל בָּהֶם סָפֵק כַּנּוֹדָע, כָּאן הִטִּילוּ הַיְּוָונִים סְפֵקוֹת בְּכָל מִצְוֹות הַתּוֹרָה, וְזֶה הַכַּוָּונָה ׳לְהַעֲבִירָם מֵחוּקֵּי רְצוֹנֶךָ׳, וּמִמֵּילָא ׳לְהַשְׁכִּיחָם תּוֹרָתֶךָ׳ לַהֲסִירָם מִכָּל מִצְוֹות הַתּוֹרָה.
- See Rashi on Bamidbar 19:2. ↩
Sources here
In shortThe Greeks first treated every mitzvah like a chok open to doubt, “to make them stray from the chukim,” so the Torah would be forgotten.
6With this we can explain why the Greeks decreed against Kiddush HaChodesh. The mitzvah of sanctifying the new month shows that Israel fulfills Hashem's mitzvos in simplicity and faith, without entertaining any doubts. For Chazal said about Kiddush HaChodesh, “‘You’: even in error.”7 There is room to suspect that perhaps the beis din erred. Even so, since the Holy One, blessed be He, gave the beis din the power to sanctify the month as it fixes it, and He Himself agrees with it, Israel accepts this and fixes the months by the beis din without doubts. So the mitzvah of Kiddush HaChodesh shows the strength of faith in the Sages and in the power of the beis din, and the fulfillment of Hashem's mitzvos without any doubts. This is what the Greeks wanted to abolish, and so they decreed against Kiddush HaChodesh.
וּבָזֶה יֵשׁ לְבָאֵר מָה רָאוּ הַיְּוָונִים לִגְזוֹר עַל קִידּוּשׁ הַחוֹדֶשׁ. כִּי הִנֵּה עִנְיַן מִצְוַות קִידּוּשׁ הַחוֹדֶשׁ מוֹרֶה עַל כָּךְ שֶׁיִּשְׂרָאֵל מְקַיְּימִים מִצְוַות הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ בִּתְמִימוּת וֶאֱמוּנָה, בְּלִי לְהִסְתַּפֵּק שׁוּם סְפֵיקוֹת. שֶׁהֲרֵי לְגַבֵּי קִידּוּשׁ הַחוֹדֶשׁ אָמְרוּ ז״ל (ראש השנה כה, א) אַתֶּם אֲפִילּוּ שׁוֹגְגִים, הַיְינוּ שֶׁאַף שֶׁיֵּשׁ מָקוֹם לְהִסְתַּפֵּק אוּלַי טָעוּ בֵּית דִּין, עִם כָּל זֹאת אַחַר אֲשֶׁר נָתַן הקב״ה כֹּחַ בְּיַד בֵּית דִּין שֶׁיִּהְיֶה הַחוֹדֶשׁ מְקוּדָּשׁ כַּאֲשֶׁר יִקְבְּעוּ, וּמַסְכִּים גַּם הוּא עַל יָדָם, מְקַבְּלִים זֹאת יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְקוֹבְעִים הֶחֳודָשִׁים עַל פִּי בֵּית דִּין בְּלֹא סְפֵיקוֹת. וְאִם כֵּן מִמִּצְוַות קִידּוּשׁ הַחֹדֶשׁ רוֹאִים אֶת תּוֹקֶף הָאֱמוּנָה בַּחֲכָמִים וּבְכֹחַ בֵּית דִּין, וְאֶת עִנְיַן קִיּוּם מִצְוַות הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ בְּלִי שׁוּם סְפֵיקוֹת. וְעִנְיָן זֶה רָצוּ הַיְּוָונִים לְבַטֵּל, וְלָכֵן גָּזְרוּ עַל קִידּוּשׁ הַחֹדֶשׁ.
- Rosh Hashanah 25a. Three times the Torah writes osam, “them,” in “which you shall proclaim them” (Vayikra 23:2, 4, 37), and Chazal read it as atem, “you”: the dates the beis din fixes stand even if it erred. ↩
In shortIsrael follows the beis din's months even if it erred; the Greeks' decree on the new month attacked that undoubting faith in the Sages.
7In the same way, the whole heart of the war of the Chashmona'im, the Hasmoneans, and of the miracle itself, was to uproot from the hearts of Israel the doubts that the Greeks had schemed to plant. With these doubts the Greeks sought to ruin “the vineyard of … the House of Israel.”8
וְעַל דֶּרֶךְ זֶה, כָּל עִיקַּר הַמִּלְחָמָה שֶׁל הַחַשְׁמוֹנָאִים וְעִיקַּר עִנְיַן הַנֵּס, הָיָה לַעֲקוֹר אֶת הַסְּפֵיקוֹת מִלִּבּוֹת יִשְׂרָאֵל, אֲשֶׁר זָמְמוּ הַיְּוָונִים לְהַחֲדִיר וּלְחַבֵּל בְּכֶרֶם בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל.
- Yeshayahu 5:7. ↩
In shortThe Chashmona'im's war, and the miracle itself, were at heart about uprooting the doubts the Greeks had planted in Israel.
8This explains why they did not want to light the Menorah with the oil they had in Yerushalayim. They were unsure whether the Greeks had touched this oil too during the war and defiled it, for no one can know clearly what happened in wartime. Had they lit with it, there would be room to cast doubt on whether the mitzvah had been fulfilled. So the Holy One, blessed be He, did a miracle, and they lit from the cruse that lay sealed with the seal of the Kohen Gadol. This was so that the mitzvah would be fulfilled without any hesitation or doubt, to show and teach how strongly one must stand against every doubt in Hashem's Torah and mitzvos, and that doubts must be uprooted from Klal Yisrael. This settles our question well: the miracle was not for nothing, but for so great a need.
וְזֶהוּ הַבֵּיאוּר בַּמֶּה שֶׁלֹּא רָצוּ לְהִשְׁתַּמֵּשׁ לְהַדְלָקַת הַמְּנוֹרָה בַּשֶּׁמֶן שֶׁהָיָה לָהֶם בִּירוּשָׁלַיִם, כִּי הָיָה לָהֶם סָפֵק אוּלַי בְּתוֹךְ זְמַן הַמִּלְחָמָה גַּם בַּשֶּׁמֶן הַזֶּה נָגְעוּ הַיְּוָונִים וְטִמְּאוּהוּ, כִּי אִי אֶפְשָׁר לָדַעַת בְּבֵירוּר מַה נִסְבַּב בְּתוֹךְ זְמַן הַמִּלְחָמָה, וְאִם יַדְלִיקוּ בְּאוֹפֶן זֶה, יִהְיֶה מָקוֹם לְהַטִּיל סְפֵקוֹת בְּקִיּוּם הַמִּצְוָוה. עַל כֵּן עָשָׂה הקב״ה נֵס שֶׁהִדְלִיקוּ מִן הַפַּךְ שֶׁהָיָה מוּנָּח בְּחוֹתָמוֹ שֶׁל כֹּהֵן גָּדוֹל, בִּכְדֵי שֶׁתִּתְקַיֵּים הַמִּצְוָוה בְּלֹא שׁוּם פִּקְפּוּק וּסְפֵקוֹת, לְהַרְאוֹת וְלִלְמוֹד מַה מְאֹד יֵשׁ לַעֲמוֹד נֶגֶד כָּל סְפֵיקוֹת בְּתוֹרַת ה׳ וּבְמִצְוֹות, וְשֶׁצְּרִיכִים לְהָסִיר וְלַעֲקוֹר הַסְּפֵיקוֹת מִכְּלַל יִשְׂרָאֵל. וּמְיוּשָּׁב לְנָכוֹן שֶׁלֹּא הָיָה הַנֵּס עַל חִינָּם, כִּי אִם לְצוֹרֶךְ גָּדוֹל כָּזֶה.
In shortThe oil outside the Heichal was of doubtful purity after the war, so the sealed cruse's miracle taught that mitzvos must be free of doubt.
9This explains what we asked: why did Chazal ask “Where did He command us?” about the mitzvah of Chanukah in particular? The whole heart of the miracle and the foundation of the mitzvah of Chanukah is to increase faith in the Sages and remove doubts. So here, more than anywhere, it is fitting to show how great is the duty of faith in the words of the Sages. That is why Chazal said that the mitzvah is learned from “You shall not turn aside” and from “Ask your father”: to teach this principle, to believe with simple faith in the words of the Sages.
וּבָזֶה יוּבָן מַה שֶׁהִקְשֵׁינוּ, מַדּוּעַ דַּוְקָא בְּמִצְוַות חֲנוּכָּה בָּאוּ חז״ל לְפָרֵשׁ ׳הֵיכָן צִיוָּונוּ׳. דְּכֵיוָן שֶׁכָּל עִיקַּר עִנְיַן הַנֵּס וִיסוֹד מִצְוַות חֲנוּכָּה, הוּא לְהַרְבּוֹת אֱמוּנַת חֲכָמִים וּלְהָסִיר הַסְּפֵיקוֹת, הִלְכָּךְ בָּזֶה רָאוּי בְּיוֹתֵר לְהַרְאוֹת גּוֹדֶל חִיּוּב הָאֱמוּנָה בְּדִבְרֵי חֲכָמִים. וְזֶה מַה שֶׁאָמְרוּ ז״ל שֶׁנִּלְמַד זֶה מִ׳לֹּא תָסוּר׳ וּמִ׳שְׁאַל אָבִיךָ׳, לְלַמֵּד הַכְּלָל הַזֶּה, לְהַאֲמִין בֶּאֱמוּנָה פְּשׁוּטָה בְּדִבְרֵי חֲכָמִים.
In shortSince Chanukah is all about faith in the Sages, its source is given in the verses that command simple faith in their words.
10aChazal said on the verse “And Yaakov was left alone”: this teaches that he went back for small jugs, pachim.9 The Sifsei Kohen writes that this hints at the miracle of Chanukah, since there, too, the miracle came through a small pach, a cruse of oil.10 What connection is there between the two? We can explain it this way. That verse speaks of the battle that Esav's angel, the heavenly prince who stands for Esav, waged with Yaakov Avinu. That battle, too, was of the kind we have described: the angel wanted to cast doubt on Hashem's Torah and the mitzvos.
וְהִנֵּה אָמְרוּ חז״ל (חולין צא, א) עַל פָּסוּק ״וַיִּוָּתֵר יַעֲקֹב לְבַדּוֹ״ (בראשית לב, כה) מְלַמֵּד שֶׁחָזַר עַל פַּכִּין קְטַנִּים. וְכָתַב עַל זֶה הַשִּׂפְתֵי כֹהֵן (פרשת וישלח) שֶׁמְּרוּמָּז בָּזֶה עִנְיַן נֵס חֲנוּכָּה, שֶׁאַף שָׁם הַנֵּס הָיָה פַּךְ קָטָן שֶׁל שֶׁמֶן. וְיֵשׁ לְהָבִין מַה שַׁיָּיכוּת יֵשׁ בֵּין זֶה לַחֲנוּכָּה. וְיֵשׁ לְבָאֵר, דְּהִנֵּה שָׁם מַיְירֵי הַכָּתוּב בְּמִלְחֶמֶת שָׂרוֹ שֶׁל עֵשָׂו עִם יַעֲקֹב אָבִינוּ ע״ה, וְעִנְיַן מִלְחַמְתּוֹ הָיָה גַּם כֵּן עַל דֶּרֶךְ הַנִּזְכָּר לְעֵיל, שֶׁרָצָה לְהַטִּיל סָפֵק בְּתוֹרַת ה׳ וּבְמִצְוֹות,
- Chullin 91a; Bereishis 32:25. Yaakov had crossed the river with his family and went back alone for some small jugs he had left behind. ↩
- Sifsei Kohen, Vayishlach. ↩
In shortChazal’s hint linking Yaakov’s small jugs to Chanukah’s cruse rests on his battle with Esav’s angel, who sought to sow doubt in the Torah and mitzvos.
10bAs Chazal said: “‘When he wrestled with him,’ behe'avko: this teaches that they raised dust, avak, from their feet up to the Throne of Glory. It is written here, ‘when he wrestled with him,’ and it is written there, ‘and clouds are the dust of His feet.’”11 The meaning is that the Throne of Glory hints at Torah and mitzvos. Esav's angel wanted to raise dust: to darken the eyes of Israel with a cloud of the dust of his feet, a multitude of doubts, as we have seen. This makes clear the connection between Yaakov Avinu's small jugs and the miracle of Chanukah. Yaakov Avinu's battle with Esav's angel is a war “for Hashem … from generation to generation,”12 and this was also the heart of the war against the Greeks and the Hellenists.
כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ חז״ל (חולין שם) ״בְּהֵאָבְקוֹ עִמּוֹ״ (בראשית שם, כו) מְלַמֵּד שֶׁהֶעֱלוּ אֲבַק מַרְגְּלוֹתָם עַד כִּסֵּא הַכָּבוֹד, כְּתִיב הָכָא ״בְּהֵאָבְקוֹ עִמּוֹ״ וּכְתִיב הָתָם (נחום א ג) ״וְעָנָן אֲבַק רַגְלָיו״. וְהַכַּוָּונָה בָּזֶה הִיא, שֶׁ׳כִּסֵּא הַכָּבוֹד׳ הוּא רֶמֶז לַתּוֹרָה וּמִצְוֹות, וְשָׂרוֹ שֶׁל עֵשָׂיו רָצָה לְהַעֲלוֹת אָבָק, דְּהַיְינוּ לְהַחְשִׁיךְ אֶת עֵינֵיהֶם שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל בֶּעָנָן אֲבַק רַגְלָיו, עַל יְדֵי רִיבּוּי סְפֵיקוֹת כַּנִּזְכָּר. וּבָזֶה מְבוֹאָר לְנָכוֹן שַׁיָּיכוּת הַפַּכִּין קְטַנִּים שֶׁל יַעֲקֹב אָבִינוּ לְנֵס חֲנוּכָּה, שֶׁעִנְיַן מִלְחֶמֶת יַעֲקֹב אָבִינוּ ע״ה עִם שָׂרוֹ שֶׁל עֵשָׂו הוּא מִלְחָמָה לַה׳ מִדּוֹר דּוֹר, וְזֹאת הָיְתָה גַּם עִיקַּר הַמִּלְחָמָה נֶגֶד הַיְּוָונִים וְהַמִּתְיַוְּונִים.
In shortThe dust raised to the Throne of Glory is a cloud of doubts darkening Israel’s eyes: the same war Chanukah fought against the Greeks.
11aThis lets us explain what my holy father and teacher, zt"l, said to answer the 's question: why was the miracle established for eight days, when the cruse held enough to light for one day?13 He explained it along the lines of the holy words of our master, , on the verse “And Bnei Yisrael walked on dry land in the midst of the sea.”14 At the time of the miracle of the splitting of the Red Sea, Klal Yisrael reached a wondrous level, as Chazal said, “A maidservant saw at the sea what Yechezkel ben Buzi did not see.”15 The level was so high that the people were privileged to recognize that all of nature comes only from the power of the Holy One, blessed be He, and is a miracle. This is “And Bnei Yisrael walked on dry land in the midst of the sea”: even when they walked on dry land, they were privileged to recognize that then, too, it was truly a miracle, as if they were walking in the midst of the sea. For all of nature is really a miracle, from the power of Hashem and His wonders. At the time of the Chanukah miracle, too, the Jews were privileged to reach this level. So even on the first day, though they had enough oil for that day, they counted the lighting of the Menorah with oil as a miracle, in the spirit of “He Who told the oil to burn will tell the vinegar to burn.”16 Those are his holy words.
וּבָזֶה אֶפְשָׁר לְבָאֵר מַה שֶׁאָמַר כ״ק אאמו״ר זצללה״ה לְתָרֵץ קוּשְׁיַית בֵּית יוֹסֵף, לָמָּה קָבְעוּ הַנֵּס שְׁמוֹנָה יָמִים, הֲרֵי הָיָה בַּפַּךְ שִׁיעוּר כְּדֵי לְהַדְלִיק יוֹם אֶחָד. וּבֵיאֵר עַל דֶּרֶךְ דִּבְרֵי קוֹדֶשׁ רַבֵּינוּ הַנּוֹעַם אֱלִימֶלֶךְ (ליקוטי שושנה בסופו), עַל הַכָּתוּב ״וּבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל הָלְכוּ בַיַּבָּשָׁה בְּתוֹךְ הַיָּם״ (שמות יד, כט), דְּבִשְׁעַת נֵס קְרִיעַת יַם סוּף הִגִּיעוּ כְּלַל יִשְׂרָאֵל לְמַדְרֵגָה נִפְלָאָה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ ז״ל (מכילתא בשלח טו, ב) רָאֲתָה שִׁפְחָה עַל הַיָּם מַה שֶּׁלֹּא רָאָה יְחֶזְקֵאל בֶּן בּוּזִי, עַד שֶׁזָּכוּ לְהַכִּיר בְּכָךְ שֶׁכָּל הַטֶּבַע הוּא רַק מִכֹּחַ הקב״ה וּבְדֶרֶךְ נֵס. וְזֶהוּ ״וּבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל הָלְכוּ בַיַּבָּשָׁה בְּתוֹךְ הַיָּם״, הַיְינוּ שֶׁגַּם בְּעֵת שֶׁהָלְכוּ בַּיַּבָּשָׁה, זָכוּ לְהַכִּיר וְלָדַעַת שֶׁגַּם אָז הוּא מַמָּשׁ בְּחִינַת נֵס כְּאִילּוּ הֵם הוֹלְכִים בְּתוֹךְ הַיָּם, כִּי בֶּאֱמֶת כָּל הַטֶּבַע הוּא רַק בְּדֶרֶךְ נֵס וּמִכֹּחַ הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ וְנִפְלְאוֹתָיו. וְהִנֵּה גַּם בִּזְמַן נֵס חֲנוּכָּה זָכוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל לָבוֹא לְמַדְרֵגָה זוֹ, וְעַל כֵּן גַּם בַּיּוֹם הָרִאשׁוֹן אַף שֶׁהָיָה לָהֶם שֶׁמֶן בְּשִׁיעוּר מַסְפִּיק לְאוֹתוֹ הַיּוֹם, מִכָּל מָקוֹם הָיָה נֶחְשָׁב אֶצְלָם הַדְלָקַת הַמְּנוֹרָה בְּשֶׁמֶן, לִבְחִינַת נֵס, בִּבְחִינַת ׳מִי שֶׁאָמַר לַשֶּׁמֶן וְיִדְלוֹק יֹאמַר לַחוֹמֶץ וְיִדְלוֹק׳ (תענית כה, א), עכדה״ק.
- Beis Yosef, Orach Chaim 670. The oil that was found was enough for one night, so the miracle of its burning was only on the seven nights that followed. ↩
- Likkutei Shoshanah (printed at the end of Noam Elimelech), at its end; Shemos 14:29. ↩
- Mechilta, Beshalach, on Shemos 15:2. Yechezkel ben Buzi is the prophet Yechezkel, who saw the vision of the heavenly Chariot. ↩
- Taanis 25a. R' Chanina ben Dosa said this when his daughter mistakenly filled the Shabbos lamp with vinegar, and it burned. ↩
In shortThe Rebbe's father answered the Beis Yosef: like Israel at the sea, the Jews at Chanukah saw even oil burning as a miracle, so the first night counts too.
11bHow were Bnei Yisrael privileged to reach such a level? It came from their fight against the doubts in faith in Hashem and His Torah that the Greeks had schemed to plant in them, as we have said. In that merit a great and strong light in avodas Hashem, the service of Hashem, shone upon them, and they were privileged to receive the light of such faith: to recognize that all of nature, too, is only a miracle, from Hashem's power.
וְהִנֵּה מִנַּיִן זָכוּ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לְמַדְרֵגָה כָּזֹאת, אַךְ זֶהוּ מִכֹּחַ שֶׁנִּלְחֲמוּ נֶגֶד הַסְּפֵיקוֹת בֶּאֱמוּנַת ה׳ וּבְתוֹרָתוֹ, שֶׁזָּמְמוּ הַיְּוָונִים לְהַטִּיל בָּהֶם כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַרְנוּ, בִּזְכוּת זֶה זָכוּ שֶׁהוֹפִיעַ עֲלֵיהֶם אוֹר גָּדוֹל וְחָזָק בַּעֲבוֹדַת הַשֵּׁם, וְזָכוּ לְאוֹר אֱמוּנָה כָּזוֹ, לְהַכִּיר שֶׁכָּל הַטֶּבַע הוּא גַּם כֵּן רַק בְּדֶרֶךְ נֵס וּמִכֹּחַ הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ.
In shortThey reached that level by fighting the Greeks’ doubts; in that merit a great light of faith shone on them, showing all nature as Hashem’s miracle.
12May Hashem grant that the words “and these days are remembered and observed”17 be fulfilled in us, and “in those days, at this time.”18 May we too be privileged to see faith in Hashem without confusion of mind, which we need so very much in our generation. May we believe with simple faith in the words of the Sages and be privileged to have faith in tzaddikim, and through this bring the redemption near. Amen, may it be His will.
יִתֵּן ה׳, שֶׁיִּתְקַיֵּים בָּנוּ ׳וְהַיָּמִים אֵלֶּה נִזְכָּרִים וְנַעֲשִׂים׳, וְ׳בַּיָּמִים הַהֵם וּבַזְּמַן הַזֶּה׳, שֶׁנִּזְכֶּה גַּם אָנוּ לִרְאוֹת אֱמוּנַת הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ בְּלִי בִּלְבּוּל הַדַּעַת, שֶׁלָּזֶה מַה מְאֹד אָנוּ צְרִיכִים בְּדוֹרֵנוּ, וְשֶׁנַּאֲמִין בֶּאֱמוּנָה פְּשׁוּטָה בְּדִבְרֵי חֲכָמִים, וְנִזְכֶּה לֶאֱמוּנַת צַדִּיקִים, וְעַל יְדֵי זֶה נְקָרֵב הַגְּאוּלָּה, אָמֵן כֵּן יְהִי רָצוֹן.
In shortThe Rebbe prays that we gain clear faith in Hashem and simple faith in the Sages and tzaddikim, and so bring the redemption near.
Why is “Where did He command us?” asked only about Chanukah, why did the Greeks ban Kiddush HaChodesh, and why the miracle of the cruse, when, as the Sfas Emes notes, pure oil existed outside the Heichal? The Rebbe answers that Greece’s “darkness” was doubt: they treated every mitzvah as a chok open to question, and struck at the new month because it shows Israel following the beis din without doubt. After the war the oil outside was of doubtful purity, so Hashem made the sealed cruse burn, that the mitzvah be done free of doubt. Since Chanukah is about uprooting doubt, there Chazal teach simple faith in the Sages. Yaakov’s struggle with Esav’s angel was the same war. The Rebbe's father, R' Yechiel Yehoshua of Biala, explained that the Jews then saw even nature as a miracle; the Rebbe adds that they earned this by fighting doubt.
Takeaway
The Greeks' deepest weapon was doubt, a darkness that makes every mitzvah feel open to question. Chanukah answers it with a mitzvah of Chazal that we bless as Hashem's own command, because we trust the Sages with simple faith; even the sealed cruse came to teach that a mitzvah should be done free of doubt. When we push away the doubts that creep into our learning and our mitzvos, we too can receive the light the Chashmona'im saw, and recognize Hashem's hand even in plain nature.
Learn this in the merit of Rav Dovid Matisyohu Rabinowitz of Biala. His yahrzeit and life ›
English translation, notes and summaries © Zechusam.